Costco Brisket

[dlaslo]

Somebody on this forum (I can't find it now) suggested I hold Costco briskets at the end and see how much they bend. He suggested I buy the one with the most bend. At the time I filed it under "left handed cows" but I kept thinking about it.

So yesterday when I ventured to Costco for my Labor Day brisket I see they now carry a new brand …. Swift briskets as well as their own brand. The difference in the "bend test" was significant......the Costco brand was stiff and all of them wouldn't bend much whereas the Swift briskets would bend quite a bit when held at the end. They were floppy like a hunk of liver.

I'll let you know after the cook if it's a winner. My last brisket from Costco was tough.

[RonB]

Hmmm - I haven't seem Swift at my Costco. Lookin' forward to your report.

[Jerod Broussard]

There is very good chance both brands came from the same plant, same animals.

What brought about a tough brisket on the previous cook?

[Huskee]

Floppy briskets are a great start. Do you wet age them? Try leaving it in your cold fridge, still wrapped in its cryovac, for a month, even two. I know, seems crazy, but it works, it won't spoil (unless it's old to start with), and it makes for a great tender brisket. You can of course do this with a stiffer brisket, say if that's all you can find, and it will benefit it.

[JeffJ]

When our local Costco has full packers they are always prime and I've never noticed a brand name associated with them. They always turn out great.

[bbqLuv]

I just checked the Full Packer Brisket at Costco and they were all choice and had no prime briskets.
The prime neat at Costco were on blue Styrofoam, but not anymore. Got to read the label.

[Murdy]

Same here, only choice available.

[Santamarina]

All I know is that my Costco hasn’t had Prime packers for months. I need that to change…it’s been too long since I’ve smoked a brisket.

[Smoked Transistors]

Our local Costco's have not had Prime Briskets since back in Jan 2023. Luckily, i signed up for a discounted Sam Club membership and they do carry Prime Packers

[J-Melt]

Smoked Transistors how much was Sam’s club charging at your location for the brisket?

[johnec00]

J-Melt I got a prime packer from Sam's last week for $4.98. Choice was $3.98. Those have been their regular prices for months. (Orlando)

[JoeSousa]

I was at Costco this evening and as always I checked out the briskets and all I saw were Choice. Not surprisingly they were of course the same price as the prime briskets they had a month or so ago.

[jerrybell]

Did the cryovac have the same "tightness" on the two? Was one more frozen than the other? Similar thickness of the fat cap? These could all influence how much it bends just as much as the tenderness of the meat inside the package.

[DaveD]

I was thinking exactly this, just the thickeness of the cryovac plastic alone could make a big difference. Good point about the fat cap too, if it's a thick, waxy one that sucker won't bend at all.

[dlaslo]

I've never noticed a brand name associated with them. They always turn out great.

You can’t miss the “Swift”…..and it was something I’ve never seen before.

[dlaslo]

What brought about a tough brisket on the previous cook?

Not sure…. Two things were different, I used a new Thermopro wireless thermometer for the first time and it was a whole that I cut the point off… but….to me it was overcooked and chewy but I followed my tried and true process.

[Jerod Broussard]

One thing is for sure, if a brisket hasn't humbled you yet, eventually it will.

[dlaslo]

Did the cryovac have the same "tightness" on the two? Was one more frozen than the other? Similar thickness of the fat cap? These could all influence how much it bends just as much as the tenderness of the meat inside the package.

It was a huge difference....I doubt the packaging was the difference (but maybe)......and I don't think Costco freezes the brisket (if they do - the package says previously frozen).

[dlaslo]

I was at Costco this evening and as always I checked out the briskets and all I saw were Choice. Not surprisingly they were of course the same price as the prime briskets they had a month or so ago.

Prime runs at a low price because of all the fat.

[dlaslo]

Hmmm - I haven't seem Swift at my Costco. Lookin' forward to your report.

Turned out great…..really tasty…especially the burnt ends. Definitely recommend Swift brand briskets with Big Bad Beef Rub

[Tecumseh]

Glad it worked out. My Costco, Frisco Texas had waygu .. but over $6/lb just couldn't do that. When my local grocery had choice on sale for $1.89.